Garment



July 19, 1966 B. v. GOULD 3,261,359

GARMENT Filed March 17, 1964 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BARBARA v. GOULD BY 1 A ATTO R N EYS July 19, 1966 Filed March 17, 1964 B. V. GOULD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6

INVENTOR.

BARBARA V. GOULD BY 7 ATTORNEYS July 19, 1966 B. v. GOULD 3,261,359

GARMENT Filed March 1'7, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. /2

A Fig. /3

' INVENTOR.

BARBARA V. GOULP BY 24 730W yL-ZMA 52 Af'roRuEYs United States Patent '0 3,261,359 GARMENT Barbara V. Gould, 2193 S. Overlook Road, Cleveland Heights 6, Cubic Filed Mar. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 352,535 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-526) This invention relates to an improvement in a foundation garment and, more particularly, in a panty girdle which effectively molds the figure and provides firm support without interfering with bodily activity and without riding up.

Conventional foundation garments generally depend on garters and stockings for restraint against their tendency to ride up. This tendency is particularly evident when the wearer sits down or engages in active exercise. Garters and stockings are only partly effective because stockings are stretchy. To avoid the necessity of wearing stockings in order to anchor down foundation garments, panty girdles have been provided having crotch pieces designed to engage the crotch to anchor the garment down. Chafing and discomfort result from such arrangements which also are only partly effective because the portions of the garment adjacent the lower sides of the hips tend to ride up despite any anchoring effect of crotch piece on the more central portions of the garment. Still other garments depend on a low cut at the bottom of the garment for anchoring against riding up. This anchoring is effective only when the wearer remains relatively inactive. Such garments tend to cut and are uncomfortable.

When the wearer sits down, conventional foundation garments tend to be further tightened around the body, thus tending to push the fiesh either upward over the top of the garment, creating a roll and interfering with breathing and digestion, or downward, causing an ugly bulge in the back of the garment.

Garments such as those described above are particularly inconvenient in that they must either be rolled down off the hips of the wearer or released from stockings and raised in order to permit the wearer to eliminate.

The present invention provides a foundation garment which avoids the disadvantages outlined above. A foundation garment is provided which provides excellent control of the lower abdomen and buttocks and which resists tendencies to ride up without being cut so low as to cut or be uncomfortable, and without depending on being anchored by stockings or crotch pieces. Firm foundation support is provided without binding or limitation of stretch even in contorted positions of the wearer, while at the same time the garment is securely anchored against riding up even in such contorted positions.

Another advantage of my garment is its convenience. The garment I have provided may function as an underpanty, no separate underpanty being required, since the buttocks and the crotch area are covered by an open and shut, envelope-like construction. Thisis, the lower rear center edge of the garment is extended by a downwardly pointing skirt portion that has a low center point. This skirt portion is brought forward to overlap the outside of the crotch area. The skirt portion is provided at its center point with fastening means such as a hook which is fastened into cooperating fastening means such as one of several eyes stitched to the lower center of the garment front. The use of several eyes provides adjustment for varying crotch spans. The skirt portion may easily be unhooked and turned up over the buttocks for complete freedom for elimination, and it may be quickly and easily rehooked, thus eliminating the need for partially removing the garment on such occasions. Furthermore, a slight spread of the legs will cause the front of the garice ment in the vicinity of the crotch to stretch horizontally and become shorter in the front-to-back direction so that there is no possibility of interference with urination. It should be noted that the function of the parts of the garment that fit through the crotch is solely to replace an underpanty and prevent chafing. They do not hold the garment down. Nor does the garment exert an upward strain on hosiery when the wearer bends or sits or takes long steps. Downward or anchoring tension is exercised substantially exclusively by the leg bands.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic front view of a garment embodying the invention, the garment being shown in its closed condition.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with additional seams and edges being shown and with the garment in its open condition, but with the depending rear skirt portion not raised.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic rear view of the garment in its closed condition.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the garment in its open condition and with the rear skirt portion raised, exposing the buttocks of the wearer but no other anatomical parts.

FIGURES 511 are viewsof bands and panels fabricated and arranged in various ways. These views are intended as an aid to understanding some of the significant features of the illustrated garment. A portion of the wearers torso is shown in FIGURES 5 and 6.

FIGURE 12 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but is taken from the rear side of the garment, with fastening elements omitted.

FIGURE 13 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing no anatomical parts and showing additional seams and edges.

In the illustrated garment, paneling of wide webs of elastic material is provided on opposite sides of the garment and may extend across side seams 10 and 11 which are seen in silhouette in the views. The paneling is interfitted so that the endm-ost portions of each panel or band form seams 12 and 13 at the front and back of the garment. Legpieces 51 and 52 are provided in association with the paneling on each side of the garment. Each legpiece comprises a looped band extending within the lower hip portions of its associated paneling, the paneling and legpieces being cojoined and respectively positioned and formed to comprise means for yieldingly bearing tension, when the garment is worn, along a reverse spiral path extending along the front of the paneling transversely and downwardly to the rear portion of each legpiece, thence around the legpieces to the front thereof and thence transversely and upwardly along the back of the paneling, the legpieces being formed to be caught under the buttocks of the wearer to provide free hinging action of the legpieces with respect to the paneling to minimize additional tension over the buttocks and riding-up of the garment incident to folding of the wearers legs toward the trunk, as in alternate sitting and standing. A garment having these general features isshown in my prior U.S. Patent 2,775,- 767.

In the presently illustrated garment, as in my prior garment, each side of the paneling acts as a sling support on one hip for confining and restricting the opposite thigh and buttock and being retained in position by its associated legpieces 51 or 52 around which the natural lines of tension or stretch pass. This in itself is not new but it is important to understand that this feature is retained in the present garment. To indicate this clearly, FIGURES 5l1 are included.

In FIGURE 5 a torso is illustrated around which pass two oppositely extending reverse spiral elastic bands 30 and 31. If these bands are under some tension it will be seen that the uppermost portions 32 of each band will be caught on one hip while the lower reverse spiral extension 33 of each b and will be caught on the inside of the opposite thigh and under the opposite buttock. The paths of the predominant lines of tension and stretch are indicated by double-headed arrows.

In FIGURE 6 a wider band 40 and legpiece 41 are provided. The legpiece 41 constitutes a separate band fixed within the band 40 along a line 42. The band 40 will be seen to be apparently equivalent to the band 39 except that it is broader, provided greater gripping and support. The band 41 is similarly equivalent to the spiral extension 33. The same band is shown in FIGURE 7 removed from the torso but in the same position. The paths of the predominant lines of tension and stretch are indicated by double-headed arrows. The upper and lower ends of the arrows 43 and 44 are numbered to bring out the fact that they extend respectively downwardly and up- Wardly from the front to the back of the garment.

The band 50 and legpiece 51 shown in FIGURE 8 will be seen to be equivalent to band 40 and legpiece 41 shown in FIGURE 6. The band 50 has been broadened to cover more of the upper hip and the legpiece 51 is not formed as a complete loop but is formed as a partial loop which is partly integral with the front of the band 50. Reference numeral 51 is the same reference numeral as is employed for the equivalent legpiece seen in FIGURE 1, because there is a strict correspondence between the two as will be seen in the following description. Again, paths of predominant tension and stretch are shown by doubleheaded arrows, corresponding to the arrows 43 and 44 in FIGURE 7.

In FIGURE 9, the belt 50 shown in FIGURE 8 has been cut off at the upper end, and the rear of the belt 50 has been partly broadened to form a lower rear edge 53. It is to be noted in FIGURES 8 and 9 that the legpiece is sewed to its associated band 50 along the side edge of the seam which is indicated by the reference numeral 10 since it is equivalent to the seam 10 shown in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 10, the paneling shown in FIGURE 9 has been combined with similar paneling derived from the band 31 shown in FIGURE 5. The upper cut-off portion of each half of the paneling shown in FIGURE 9 is replaced functionally by the complementary belt or paneling so that each side of the assembled panel is supported as a sling over one hip in a manner functionally identical to the sling-like support illustrated in FIGURE 5.

As indicated in FIGURES 9-11 by the reference numeral 66, the sideward extremities of the lower rear edge 53 are below the tops of the associated legpieces 51 (or 52) at the sideward extremities of the legpieces. This condition (of being below the tops of the legpieces at the sideward extremities of the legpieces) continues to apply with respect to the sideward extremities of the tobe-described skirt portion of the garment, as will become apparent below, and for this reason the reference numeral 65 is also employed in FIGURES 12 and 2.

The garment shown in FIGURE 11 has substantially all the fabric parts of the final garment, except that the rear edge 53 has not been fully extended to form the lowcen-tered skirt portion contemplated by the invention and the front abdominal reinforcing paneling has not been added. The open front crotch portion seen in FIGURE 10 has been covered by extending the front seam (which is now indicated by the reference numeral 12 since it fully corresponds to the seam 12 shown in FIGURE 1) down- -wardly and by abutting the legpieces to each other at a common crotch seam 62, the closure of each of the legpieces to itself being completed along the cross-seam 61. Other paneling arrangements may be employed, but the result is the formation of a front crotch portion of the garment generally indicated in FIGURE 11 by the reference numeral 63. The rear of this crotch portion 63 is well .back in the crotch as at 4 when the wearer is in normal standing position. The crotch piece or portion may be cut as a separate piece sewed to the respective legpieces and bands or it may be cut as part of the legpieces and bands as just described.

FIGURES 12 and 13 are rear views similar to FIG- URE 11 except that the rear edge 53 of the garment of FIGURE 11 has been lowered to form a low-centered rear skirt portion 70. The skirt has a low center point 71 when the skirt is allowed to hang freely. The garment seen from the rear in FIGURES 12 and 13 is identical to the garment shown in FIGURES 14 except that neither fastening means nor abdominal reinforcing paneling is shown.

As best seen in FIGURES 12 and 13, taken together with FIGURES 2 and 3, the skirt portion extends down around the buttocks and overlaps the rear sides of the legpieces across the width of each leg. Consequently when the depending skirt portion is drawn through the crotch and fastened, as described below, good and secure coverage is provided while at the same time the garment provides free hinging action of the legpieces with respect to the paneling incident to alternate sitting and standing.

The finished garment as seen in FIGURES 1-4 adds only reinforcing paneling 16 and 17 on the front of the garment and a hook 18 at the rear center 71 of the skirt portion and a series of eyes or catch fasteners 19 at the lower center portion or crotch portion of the front panel. The provision of a plurality of eyes allows the low center portion 71 to be drawn through the crotch to varying degrees to adjust to different crotch sizes.

The skirt portion 70 when hooked forward over the crotch portion 63 covers the lower buttocks without confining or restraining movements of the wearer. The structure of the illustrated garment is such that as the wearer straightens the leg covered by legpiece 51, as when she stands up from a sitting position, this action puts tension over the abdomen and back on the paneling of the associated side of the garment, and puts tension over the opposite hip. Similar, complementary tension is established by the opposite legpiece 52 and the garment is pulled or anchored down. Conversely, as the wearer begins to sit down and her thigh or upper legs begin to fold toward her trunk, tension is relieved at the paneling over the hips, abdomen, and back, and the flesh is permitted to spread to the side, thus providing a comfortable sitting condition. In this manner, the garment avoids difficulties common to prior foundation garments which tend to tighten when the wearer sits down due to increased tension over the buttocks.

It will be understood that my garment may be made substantially shorter than illustrated, or long enough to comprise a brassiere and form an all-in-one, which may be used as a bathing suit or garment for general sport wear. It will also be understood that my garment may include one or more openings in the form of hooks and eyes, laces and the like, for maternity use and the like. Further, the panels and legpieces need not consist of elastic material only, but may be made up of combined elastic and inelastic sections. The reinforcing paneling may be rearranged and may be used in the rear as well. These and other possible modifications demonstrate that the invention is not restricted to the preferred embodiment disclosed, but may be varied and modified within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a figure-controlling garment comprising paneling of elastic material extending around one hip portion of the garment from the front to the back of the garment and around the other hip portion of the garment from the front to the back of the garment, the paneling being joined together in front and back, a legpiece of elastic material associated with the paneling on each side of the garment, each legpiece comprising a looped band extending within the lower hip portion of its associated paneling, the paneling and legpieces being cojoined and respectively positioned and formed to comprise means for yieldingly bearing tension, when the garment is worn, along a reverse spiral path extending along the front of the paneling transversely and downwardly to the rear portion of each legpiece, thence around the legpiece to the front thereof and thence transversely and upwardly along the back of the paneling, the legpieces extending under the buttocks of the wearer to provide free hinging action of the legpieces with respect to the paneling to minimize additional tension over the buttocks and riding-up of the garment incident to bending of the Wearers legs toward the trunk, as in alternate sitting and standing, the improvement of combining as part of the above recited garment a skirt portion at the rear side of the paneling, said skirt portion having a low center point, cooperating releasable fastening means at the low center point of said skirt portion and at the lower center of the front paneling whereby said skirt portion may be drawn over the crotch area between the legs of a wearer and fastened to form a releasable closure.

2. A garment as in claim 1 in which said skirt portion extends across the rear of the garment and from side to side, the sideward extremities of said skirt portion being below the tops of said legpieces at the :sideward extremities of the legpieces,' whereby when the garment is Worn and said skirt portion is fastened through the crotch, said skirt portion extends down around the buttocks and overlaps the rear sides of the legpieces across the width of the rear of each leg and the crotch to give good coverage.

3. A garment as in claim 1 in which a plurality of fastening elements are associated with the fastening means 'for establishing the said releasable closure at varying degrees of tightness.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,367,328 1/1945 Bercaitz 128-527 2,661,002 12/1953 Silverman 128-526 3,035,585 5/1962 Neiman 128524 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A FIGURE-CONTROLLING GARMENT COMPRISING PANELING OF ELASTIC MATERIAL EXTENDING AROUND ONE HIP PORTION OF THE GARMENT FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK OF THE GARMENT AND AROUND THE OTHER HIP PORTION OF THE GARMENT FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK OF THE GARMENT, THE PANELING BEING JOINED TOGETHER IN FRONT AND BACK, A LEGPIECE OF ELASTIC MATERIAL ASSOCIATED WITH THE PANELING ON EACH SIDE OF THE GARMENT, EACH LEGPIECE COMPRISING A LOOPED BAND EXTENDING WITHIN THE LOWER HIP PORTION OF ITS ASSOCIATED PANELING, THE PANELING AND LEGPIECES BEING COJOINTED AND RESPECTIVELY POSITIONED AND FORMED TO COMPRISE MEANS FOR YIELDINGLY BEARING TENSION, WHEN THE GARMENT IS WORN, ALONG A REVERSE SPIRAL PATH EXTENDING ALONG THE FRONT OF THE PANELING TRANSVERSELY AND DOWNWARDLY TO THE REAR PORTION OF EACH LEGPIECE, THENCE AROUND THE LEGPIECE TO THE FRONT THEREOF AND THENCE TRANSVERSELY AND UPWARDLY ALONG THE BACK OF THE PANELING, THE LEGPIECES EXTENDING UNDER THE BUTTOCKS OF THE WEARER TO PROVIDE FREE HINGING ACTION OF THE LEGPIECES WITH RESPECT TO THE PANELING TO MINIMIZE ADDITIONAL TENSION OVER THE BUTTOCKS AND RIDING-UP OF THE GARMENT INCIDENT TO BENDING OF THE WEARER''S LEGS TOWARD THE TRUNCK, AS IN ALTERNATE SITTING AND STANDING, THE IMPROVEMENT OF COMBINING AS PART OF THE ABOVE RECITED GARMENT A SKIRT PORTION AT THE REAR SIDE OF THE PANELING, SAID SKIRT PORTION HAVING A LOW CENTER POINT, COOPERATING RELEASABLE FASTENING MEANS AT THE LOW CENTER POINT OF SAID SKIRT PORTION AND AT THE LOWER CENTER OF THE FRONT PANELING WHEREBY SAID SKIRT PORTION MAY BE DRAWN OVER THE CROTCH AREA BETWEEN THE LEGS OF A WEARER AND FASTENED TO FORM A RELEASABLE CLOSURE. 